Cameron calls for Productivity Commission overhaul

Outspoken Labor Senator Doug Cameron has used the retirement of Productivity Commission chairman Gary Banks to call for a complete review of personnel at the economic reform body.

The left faction senator raised his concerns about the “economic ideology" of the Commission during the Labor caucus room meeting on Tuesday, arguing the body was too economically dry.

Senator Cameron said while he wished the outgoing chairman well, he had been in the job for “far too long".

“I’ve stated publicly before that the economic ideology of the Productivity Commission is hugely conservative."

“My preferred position is to get rid of the Productivity Commission. But given that would not have support in government my view is we should have an analysis of the personnel in the Productivity Commission."

Senator Cameron told The Australian Financial Review that there needed to be a more dynamic economic debate that took into account a various of view, “so that the economic orthodoxy that dominates Productivity Commission reports can be challenged and debated and modified".

“The Productivity Commission is dominated is by freshwater economists from the (Milton) Friedman school, there needs to be more salt water economists to give a balanced view and change the culture,’’ he said.

Senator Cameron declined to nominate his preferred successor for the post with one of the government’s key economic advisory bodies.